Cylinder locks

ABSTRACT

A cylinder lock is provided which comprises a case housing at least one dead bolt having rack means and a cylinder comprising a shell and a rotating plug, said shell being provided with a central groove, and said rotating plug having a gear means for driving said rack means through said groove.

Unlted States Patent 3,892,110 Poli July 1, 1975 [54] CYLINDER LOCKS FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 lnvemorl g f m Bustamame 25,365 9/1906 Sweden 70/379 A antIago, l e I g [22] Filed: Feb. 6, 1974 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Moore Attorney, Agent, or FirmLadas Parry, Von Gehr, [21] Appl' 440098 Goldsmith & Deschamps 52 US. Cl 70/107; 292/173 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. E05C 1/16 [58] Field of Search 70/107 108 448 364 A cylinder lock Is provIded WhlCh comprlses a case 70/3179 housing at least one dead bolt having rack means and a cylinder comprising a shell and a rotating plug, said [56] References Cited shell being provided with a central groove, and said rotating plug having a gear means for driving said rack UNITED STATES PATENTS means through said groove. 98,577 l/l870 Fay 70/108 1.687388 10/1928 Rigo 70/108 ux 4 Clalms, 10 Drawmg Figures [HA [I CYLINDER LOCKS The present invention relates to locks, and particularly to a lock of the type that uses a key-operated cylinder to operate the dead bolts and the latch bolt.

Many cylinder locks are known of the afore mentioned type generally comprising a case housing dead bolts, a latch bolt and mechanisms to operate the same by means of a key-operated cylinder. Such locks normally comprise blocking means to avoid nonauthorized displacement of the dead bolts, said means generally being constituted by lever-tumblers or the like, operating in combination with tumbler springs. Experts in the art know that tumbler springs are exposed to attrition (wear and tear) or to the possibility that the springs get torn, thus rendering the whole lock useless, and resulting in the insecurity of the lock.

Another inconvenient occurring commonly in the known types of locks, and particularly in mortise locks, is that due to the disposition of the lock operation and blocking meachanisms, it is necessary to insert from outside the cylinder, after having installed the lock into the door, fact which presents various inconvenients to the mecanic assembling the same, and furthermore, it constitutes an insecurity factor.

This invention provides a door lock whose dead bolt and/or latch bolt mechanisms have been extremely simplified, thus contributing an additional factor of security and permitting a compact design which, at the same time, facilitates the lock assembly in the door.

Of course, this invention should not be understood as limited to mortise locks, since the novel construction provided may be equally applied to cylinder rim latchlocks, cylinder rim dead locks, cylinder cabinet locks, and the like.

In accordance with this invention, a lock is made known which comprises a case longitudinally divided into two sectors, one or more dead bolts contained in said case and a lock cylinder constituted by a keyoperated rotating plug, a plurality of upper and lower pin-tumblers, and an exterior fixed shell assembled to the walls of said case, said rotating plug being provided in its periphery with a gear, and at least, a first dead bolt being operable by rack means adjusting to and cooperating with said gear along the groove provided in the wall of said exterior fixed shell in such a way, that, when said rotating plug is operated and rotated by a key, the gear actuates said rack imparting a longitudinal displacement movement on said bolt, said cylinder pin tumblers being the only blocking means to avoid non-authorized movements of said dead bolt.

In a preferred embodiment of the lock provided by the present invention the rack means may be formed in the very body of the first dead bolt. However, it is also possible that said rack means be formed in an auxiliary piece connected to one end part of the dead bolt, this piece being operable by means of the gear. The selection of one or the other embodiment depends on the type and size of the lock to be produced according to this invention.

Another embodiment of this invention provides a lock furthermore including a latch bolt whole axle end is interconnected to said first dead bolt by means of a latch lever, so that, when the first dead bolt is not in blocking position, upon being retracted key-operating the cylinder, it operates said latch lever which, in turn,

imparts a retracting movement on the latch bolt, thus unlocking the door.

Still another embodiment of the lock of this invention consists in that one of the dead bolts is provided with a bar solidarily mounted thereto and connected displacebly with respect to the latch bolt axle so that, when said bolt is actuated by means of the cylinder and is displaced to its door-blocking position, said bar is also simultaneously displaced to a latch bolt blocking position.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention is t provide a lock with two or more dead bolts solidarily joined each other and to said first rack operated dead bolt by means of a bar or the like.

Also part of this invention is an ambodiment in which the lateral walls of the two sectors of the lock case are provided with partial bulges formed therein, in which those serve as guides to the dead bolts during their displacement movements to block or unblock the door.

In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention, which up to now has been described widely in some of its embodiments and characteristics, illustrative drawings are accompanied in which:

FIG. 1 represents a schematic view in longitudinal section of an embodiment of a door lock according to this invention, which is provided with two dead bolts.

FIG. 2 constitutes a transversal section of the same lock shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic enlarged detail of a key-operable double comination cylinder.

FIG. 4 is a schematic enlarged illustration of an exterior fixed shell provided with a longitudinal groove in the medium part thereof, according to this invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic enlarged front view of the same fixed shell of the cylinder shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic enlarged detail of a rotating plug of the cylinder shown in FIG. 3, provided with a gearing in the periphery thereof, in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view in longitudinal section illustrating a lock according to this invention, provided with two dead bolts, a latch bolt and mechanisms to actuate said latch bolt.

FIG. 8 is a transversal section view of the lock illustrated in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view in longitudinal section illustrating an embodiment of a lock according to this invention provided with one dead bolt only, and an auxiliary rack piece, and

FIG. 10 constitutes a transversal section of the door lock shown in FIG. 9.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, in which corresponding parts are identified by the same numbers, it may be observed in FIGS. 1 to 6 a cylinder rim deadlock 1 comprising a case 2 housing two dead bolts 3-4 solidarily joined among each other by means of a bar 5, and a double combination cylinder 6 constituted by an interior rotating plug 7, rotatable by means of a key 9, a fixed shell 8 mounted on the side walls of the case 2, and a set of pin tumblers 24 operated by driver springs 25. Obviously, the invention also can be carried out using a single combination cylinder or any other type of knovm cylinders. The dead bolt 3 is provided in its body with a rack means 10 which, through a groove 11 made in the central zone of the shell 8, engages and cooperates with the gear 12 provided in the periphery of the interior rotating plug 7 rotatable by means of a key 9. As can be observed in FIG. 2, the lateral walls of the case 2 have been partially bulged 13-14 in order to serve as a guide to the dead bolt 3 during its displacement movements when the dead bolt is carried to blocking position of the door by means of the gear 12 which operates the rack provided in the dead bolt 3. Due to the fact that the dead bolt 4 is solidarily joined to the dead bolt 3 by means of a bar 5, when dead bolt 3 is displaced it carries along the dead bolt 4 which is guided along its path by guides 15-16 formed on the lateral walls of the case.

Making reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, it can be seen that a cylinder mortise latch lock comprises a latch bolt 17 whose axle 18 is provided with a pressure spring and mounted displacebly on bearing 19, deadlocks 3-4 and a cylinder 6. The extreme parts of the latch bolt axle connects with an end of a lever 20, whose opposite end is pivotedly mounted on a piece 21 beyond the inner end of the dead bolt 3, so that when a retracting movement is imparted to said dead bolt 3 by means of the cylinder, said dead bolt 3 pushes the latch lever retracting, in turn, the latch bolt 17 unlocking thus the door, when the dead bolts are in unblocking position. On the other hand, when the dead bolts 3-4 are in blocking position a second bar 22 solidarily mounted on the dead bolt 4 is displaced to adjusted position behind the latch bolt, thus blocking the latter and avoiding its retraction. This particularity has the advantage that when the lock has its dead bolts in door blocking position, said latch bolt cooperates as an additional security means to prevent opening of the door.

Another positive aspect to be deducted from the particular novel construction of the lock of this invention lies in the fact that, as the key-operated cylinder actuates directly a first dead bolt, it has been possible to situate said cylinder in the interior of the lock, so that a mortise lock can be easily installed into a door, without the necessity to carry out further adjustments later on.

Finally, referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, it can be observed that there is a cylinder deadlock provided with one dead bolt 3a only, whose innermost extreme part is provided with an auxiliary piece 23 having a rack 10 which engages the gearing 12 of the interior rotating plug 7 of the key-operated cylinder 6. In this particular case, when the interior rotating plug 7 is turned, the gearing 12 will operate the auxiliary piece 23 which in turn will actuate the dead bolt 3a displacing it to its blocking and unblocking positions. It will be observed that the provision of the auxiliary piece 23 permits the construction of a small size lock, since the cylinder is placed in line with the bolt.

Any one of the locks described previously in detail showed only the novel elements of the construction provided, in order to facilitate understanding of the same. It is interesting to point out that the dead bolts can be completely displaced to either its blocking or unblocking position when turning the key at 180, this depending naturally on the size of and relationship between rack and gearing. Another optional advantage is the fact that it is enough to carry out a retraction movement of 8 to 10 of the dead bolt, when it is in unblocking position, in order to actuate the latch bolt and make it retract completely until the door unblocking position.

Even though the previous specification only mentions some preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be understood that it is possible to derive therefrom various modifications without aparting from the essential inventive idea, wherefor the scope and spirit of this invention will be limited to the claims that follow:

What is claimed is:

1. A lock comprising a case which houses: at least one dead bolt, a cylinder constituted by a key-opcrated rotatable plug provided on its periphery with gear means, pin tumblers to block rotation of said plug, an exterior shell mounted on the walls of said case, a latch bolt having an axle, a mechanism to operate said latch bolt, a bar joined integrally to said dead bolt and displaceable to connect with the latch bolt axle, and rack means engaging and cooperating with said gear means through a groove provided in said shell to operate said dead bolt so that when said plug is key-operated, said gear means operate said rack means displacing longitudinally said dead bolt to blocking and unblocking positions, and when said dead bolt is displaced to a blocking position said bar is displaced simultaneously to a blocking position of said latch bolt, said pin tumblers being the only blocking means to prevent nonauthorized movement of said dead bolt.

2. A lock comprising a case which houses: at least one dead bolt, a cylinder constituted by a key-operated rotatable plug provided on its periphery with gear means, pin tumblers to block rotation of said plug, rack means engaging and cooperating with said gear means to operate said dead bolt to blocking and unblocking positions, a latch bolt, and a mechanism to operate said latch bolt, the latch bolt having an axle and said dead bolt being provided with bar means having one end 40 joined integrally to said dead bolt and having another end displaceably connected to the latch bolt axle, whereby when said dead bolt is moved to a door blocking position said bar means are simultaneously displaced to a latch bolt blocking position.

3. A lock according to claim 2, wherein the latch bolt axle has a free end and the latch bolt operating mechanism comprises a lever having one end connected to said free end of the latch bolt axle and another end pivotally mounted in said case, said dead bolt being arranged between said latch bolt axle and the pivotally mounted end of said lever, whereby when said dead bolt is in an unblocking position said lever can be operated by means of a retracting movement of said dead bolt, thus retracting the latch bolt to a door unblocking position.

4. A lock according to claim 2, comprising a further dead bolt operable to blocking and unblocking positions by rack means engaging and cooperating with said gear means. 

1. A lock comprising a case which houses: at least one dead bolt, a cylinder constituted by a key-operated rotatable plug provided on its periphery with gear means, pin tumblers to block rotation of said plug, an exterior shell mounted on the walls of said case, a latch bolt having an axle, a mechanism to operate said latch bolt, a bar joined integrally to said dead bolt and displaceable to connect with the latch bolt axle, and rack means engaging and cooperating with said gear means through a groove provided in said shell to operate said dead bolt so that when said plug is key-operated, said gear means operate said rack means displacing longitudinally said dead bolt to blocking and unblocking positions, and when said dead bolt Is displaced to a blocking position said bar is displaced simultaneously to a blocking position of said latch bolt, said pin tumblers being the only blocking means to prevent nonauthorized movement of said dead bolt.
 2. A lock comprising a case which houses: at least one dead bolt, a cylinder constituted by a key-operated rotatable plug provided on its periphery with gear means, pin tumblers to block rotation of said plug, rack means engaging and cooperating with said gear means to operate said dead bolt to blocking and unblocking positions, a latch bolt, and a mechanism to operate said latch bolt, the latch bolt having an axle and said dead bolt being provided with bar means having one end joined integrally to said dead bolt and having another end displaceably connected to the latch bolt axle, whereby when said dead bolt is moved to a door blocking position said bar means are simultaneously displaced to a latch bolt blocking position.
 3. A lock according to claim 2, wherein the latch bolt axle has a free end and the latch bolt operating mechanism comprises a lever having one end connected to said free end of the latch bolt axle and another end pivotally mounted in said case, said dead bolt being arranged between said latch bolt axle and the pivotally mounted end of said lever, whereby when said dead bolt is in an unblocking position said lever can be operated by means of a retracting movement of said dead bolt, thus retracting the latch bolt to a door unblocking position.
 4. A lock according to claim 2, comprising a further dead bolt operable to blocking and unblocking positions by rack means engaging and cooperating with said gear means. 